RallyIQ

Game plan

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina v Roberto Bautista Agut

Every number combines what Alejandro Davidovich Fokina does well with what Roberto Bautista Agut allows, each measured against the tour average and shrunk toward it when the sample is thin. Flip perspective

Forecast

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wins, best of 3 23%90%: 13%–36% · best of 5: 18%
Serve points won 56.7% / 62.4% Alejandro / Roberto · tour 63.8%
Strengths only, no similarity priors 25%serve 58.4% / 63.7%

Each player's serve and return strength is fitted against every opponent they were charted against, so a record built on weak opponents counts for less. At least one of them is no longer active or has too little charted in the last three seasons, so both are compared on their careers. The result is then nudged by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's record against Roberto Bautista Agut's tactical lookalikes and in their charted head-to-heads (lookalikes: −3.6 on serve, +4.9 on return vs expectation (1706 points); head-to-head: −9.2 on serve, −16.0 on return vs expectation (108 points)). A game-by-game Markov chain turns point odds into match odds; the 90% range covers the uncertainty in the two strengths, not the nudges. Charted matches lean toward big events, so treat this as a scouting estimate, not a betting line.

Head to head, per 100 shots

CareerAlejandroRoberto
Direction choice−0.06 ±0.06
better than 42%
+0.03 ±0.06
better than 65%
Shot selection−0.04 ±0.10
better than 48%
+0.08 ±0.08
better than 62%
Execution−0.44 ±0.30
better than 47%
+1.23 ±0.28
better than 98%
Points left on the table2.43 ±0.11
lower than 70%
2.30 ±0.09
lower than 85%

Each player's career against an average tour player in the same position, adjusted for opponent strength, with a 90% margin (shots clustered by match). Points left on the table is the gap to the best-value direction for the same stroke, so lower is better. Percentiles are within each player's own tour. A side is highlighted only when the gap is larger than the margin on the difference.

Structural compatibility

Expected edge per 100 rally shots from style alone: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina +0.43, Roberto Bautista Agut +1.36. Each player's shot mix weighted by their own skill with each shot and by how much the other gives up against it. This is why some rankings gaps don't hold in a given matchup.

Serve plan

The share of points the server wins when a first serve lands in that direction (hover a rate for its 90% interval; ± is the 90% margin). "Matchup" combines the server's rate with how this returner handles that serve. "Optimal" is the mix that wins most against this returner once they start reading a habit, at the response measured across the tour, and only within the range servers' habits actually vary. The gain over the current mix is how exploitable that mix is.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowAlejandro winsv RobertoMatchupOptimal
Wide47%69%74%70.0%±3.660% ▲
Body24%59%60%55.8%±6.811% ▼
T29%66%76%67.0%±4.529%

Optimal v Roberto Bautista Agut: +1.0±0.7 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving wide every time would read +4.3 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowAlejandro winsv RobertoMatchupOptimal
Wide35%62%77%66.7%±4.147% ▲
Body22%63%53%53.3%±7.69% ▼
T43%65%72%65.4%±4.344% ▲

Optimal v Roberto Bautista Agut: +0.8±0.7 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving wide every time would read +3.6 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Roberto Bautista Agut serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowRoberto winsv AlejandroMatchupOptimal
Wide45%70%71%67.7%±3.740% ▼
Body9%64%59%59.5%±8.00% ▼
T47%72%74%71.8%±3.860% ▲

Optimal v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: +0.5±0.6 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +2.9 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowRoberto winsv AlejandroMatchupOptimal
Wide56%70%71%67.3%±3.951% ▼
Body9%61%61%58.8%±8.70% ▼
T36%72%68%68.0%±4.349% ▲

Optimal v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: +0.4±0.6 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +1.1 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Return plan

Value of each return, in points per 100 returns against an average return of the same serve (direction, court, surface): the tour's result with that return, the returner's own edge with it, and what this server gives up when it comes back to that side. Returns with no charted direction are left out, so values compare with each other rather than with zero. Depth isn't a choice here: missed returns have no depth. Serve quality isn't charted, so a block through the middle partly reflects the serve that forced it.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv RobertoValue
FH through the middle43%+4.3+0.4+2.6+7.3±1.7
FH down the line20%+1.7−2.5+4.3+3.5±3.4
FH crosscourt15%+5.5+0.4−1.2+4.7±3.4
FH slice through the middle15%−4.2−0.3+2.1−2.5±2.0
FH slice down the line4%−4.3−0.2−0.1−4.5±3.2

Lean FH through the middle: +3.3±1.3 per 100 returns v the current mix (1084 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv RobertoValue
BH through the middle42%+6.4+2.6+1.2+10.2±1.6
BH crosscourt24%+8.8+2.0+2.2+13.0±2.5
BH slice through the middle15%−4.2−2.1+3.1−3.2±2.0
BH down the line11%+4.2−0.8+1.3+4.7±4.2
BH slice crosscourt5%+0.5−3.0+1.1−1.4±2.9

Lean BH crosscourt: +5.9±2.1 per 100 returns v the current mix (962 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv RobertoValue
FH through the middle44%−3.5−0.8−0.4−4.7±2.5
FH down the line27%−1.8+1.1+1.5+0.8±4.5
FH crosscourt25%−0.2−5.7−1.4−7.4±4.2
FH slice through the middle4%−12.7−0.9±0.0−13.6±1.2

Lean FH down the line: +5.0±3.6 per 100 returns v the current mix (220 returns charted)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv RobertoValue
BH through the middle42%−2.9+0.1+2.3−0.4±1.7
BH crosscourt36%+1.0+0.1+0.2+1.3±2.2
BH down the line18%−0.2−3.4+2.5−1.1±4.4
BH slice through the middle2%−11.3+0.1−1.9−13.0±2.0
FH inside-out1%+1.0+0.4+1.5+2.9±2.8

Lean BH crosscourt: +1.5±1.8 per 100 returns v the current mix (669 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

Roberto Bautista Agut returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AlejandroValue
FH through the middle47%+4.3+2.4+1.1+7.8±1.6
FH down the line19%+1.7+2.4−0.5+3.6±3.4
FH crosscourt15%+5.5+1.8−1.4+5.9±3.3
FH slice through the middle13%−4.2+0.4−1.7−5.5±2.2
FH slice crosscourt3%−4.3+0.3−2.1−6.2±2.7

Lean FH through the middle: +3.6±1.2 per 100 returns v the current mix (1224 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AlejandroValue
BH through the middle42%+6.4+2.7+1.6+10.7±1.5
BH crosscourt20%+8.8+2.4+0.5+11.6±2.5
BH slice through the middle17%−4.2−0.1−3.2−7.5±2.2
BH down the line11%+4.2+4.9+0.3+9.4±4.1
BH slice crosscourt6%+0.5−1.2−0.2−0.8±3.0

Lean BH crosscourt: +5.6±2.2 per 100 returns v the current mix (1218 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AlejandroValue
FH through the middle48%−3.5+0.4−1.1−4.2±2.2
FH crosscourt24%−0.2+0.7+1.8+2.3±3.9
FH down the line24%−1.8+0.9+1.6+0.7±4.3
FH slice through the middle4%−12.7±0.0−0.5−13.1±1.9

Lean FH crosscourt: +4.1±3.3 per 100 returns v the current mix (289 returns charted)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AlejandroValue
BH through the middle48%−2.9+0.6−0.8−3.1±1.7
BH crosscourt33%+1.0+1.7−0.1+2.6±2.5
BH down the line12%−0.2+0.8+0.2+0.8±4.7
FH through the middle3%−2.9−0.4−1.1−4.4±2.0
FH inside-out2%+1.0±0.0+1.6+2.5±3.2

Lean BH crosscourt: +3.2±1.9 per 100 returns v the current mix (961 returns charted)

Rally plan

Edge, in points per 100 shots: the hitter's skill with the shot (own) plus how much the receiver usually gives up against it (theirs), both measured against the tour average on hard. Each player's hard record is shrunk toward their all-surface one, so a thin sample on it moves the numbers only a little.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH volley to their forehand · rally+5.4±7.8+4.3+1.1
BH to the middle · return+4.7±1.6+1.2+3.5
FH slice to the middle · return+4.6±2.7+1.8+2.8
FH to their backhand · return+3.7±3.8+0.4+3.3
FH to the middle · return +1+3.5±2.9+2.2+1.3
BH to their forehand · rally+3.4±3.0+1.1+2.3

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH to their forehand · serve +1−6.9±2.9−6.1−0.7
BH slice to the middle · return +1−4.3±3.1−1.4−2.9
FH slice to their backhand · rally−3.3±5.3−1.4−1.9
FH to their forehand · rally−2.9±1.8−3.3+0.4
FH slice to the middle · return +1−2.7±4.2−1.3−1.4

Roberto Bautista Agut

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH slice to their forehand · rally+9.0±5.8+6.6+2.4
FH to the middle · serve +1+6.5±2.4+3.3+3.1
FH to their forehand · rally+5.9±1.9+3.1+2.8
BH to their forehand · return+5.2±4.6+3.7+1.5
BH to the middle · return+4.6±1.5+1.5+3.1
BH to their backhand · return+3.4±2.5+1.4+2.0

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH volley to their forehand · rally−7.3±7.4+1.5−8.8
BH volley to their forehand · rally−5.7±8.5−3.8−1.9
BH to their forehand · serve +1−5.0±6.2−1.6−3.4
FH volley to their backhand · rally−5.0±8.4+0.2−5.2
FH slice to the middle · rally−2.7±3.5−1.3−1.4

Against Roberto Bautista Agut-like opponents

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vMatchesServe pts wonReturn pts won
All charted opponents–59.3%37.7%
Players most similar to Roberto Bautista Agut8 55.6%40.9%
Roberto Bautista Agut (charted head-to-head)1 51.5%21.4%

Similar by tactical fingerprint: Casper Ruud, Brandon Nakashima, Gael Monfils, Mariano Navone, Novak Djokovic, Karen Khachanov, Pablo Carreno Busta, Francisco Cerundolo, Roberto Carballes Baena, Bernabe Zapata Miralles. When two players have rarely met, their records against these lookalikes fill the gap.

Charted head-to-head